John Wardle and Ken McBryde to present at PrefabAUS 2015

Industry transformation will be the core theme of the upcoming prefabAUS annual conference in Melbourne next month and John Wardle (John Wardle Architects) and Ken McBryde (HASSELL) will be on hand to discuss the topic.

The second annual prefabAUS conference will feature construction industry experts from around the world sharing their thoughts on how prefab is changing the design, building and manufacturing industries.

Underlining the importance of change for Australia’s construction industry, prefabAUS CEO Warren McGregor observed that construction in the 21st century cannot continue to operate in a protected environment. Noting that incremental change will be hard and benefits modest against the familiarity of in situ construction, he added that the immense potential of prefabrication can only be realised by truly transforming the industry.

Already widely established across Japan, Europe, USA and UK, the prefab industry is emerging in Australia from an ‘alternative’ identity and is currently at the forefront of the mainstream market.

The prefabAUS 2015 annual conference will address several key issues including the benefits delivered by prefab construction to infrastructure sectors such as health and education. Speakers at the event include Aladin Niazmand, Director of Health Planning & Healthcare Architecture at Health Projects International; and Rob Adams, Director of City Planning at City of Melbourne, who will speak on the role prefabricated construction will play in the future of Australian cities.

Speakers confirmed to appear at the prefabAUS conference also include, among others, Dr Dale Steinhardt and Dr Karen Manley, Prefabricated Sustainable Housing Research Project, QUT; John Wardle, founder and principal at John Wardle Architects; Laurice Temple, CEO of The National Association of Women in Construction; and Ken McBryde, principal at HASSELL.

John Wardle’s presentation on the widely celebrated Melbourne School of Design will discuss the building’s recent transformation incorporating prefabricated design aspects. Guests of the conference will be given a tour of the Melbourne School of Design to discover the fascinating process behind its conception.

Guests can also take advantage of the optional day of site tours to visit some of Melbourne’s most innovative prefab buildings, including Nunwading Train Station, Caulfield Grammar, and The Green apartments.

The prefabAUS 2015 annual conference will be held at the University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC from Monday 14 September until Wednesday 16 September.